Medway

Medway's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in housing tenure, religion and marriage.

The population passed quarter of a million

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Medway increased by 5.8%, from just over 249,000 to 264,000.

The addition of about 14,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Medway was home to, on average, 9.8 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in private renting

Census 2011 data also show a housing tenure change in Medway.

The percentage of households in Medway that rented privately increased from 9.3% in 2001 to 17% in 2011.

The proportion that lived in social housing remained close to 13%, while the percentage of Medway households that owner their home decreased from 75% to 68%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 10% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Medway increased by 7.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in Medway, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Medway

The number of people in Medway that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 42,000 in 2001 to about 79,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 30% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Medway that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 180,000 in 2001 to just over 150,000 in 2011 (from 72% to 58%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from about 19,000 to just under 18,000 (from 7.8% to 6.8%).

About 5,200 people (1.1%) said they were Muslim, up from about 2,600 in 2001 (2.0%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Medway increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Medway by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Medway

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Medway at a faster rate than across the South East.

In Medway, the proportion of single people increased from 29% in 2001 to 35% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 29% to 32%.

Across England, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 30% to 35%.

The proportion of married people in Medway fell from 52% to 46%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 12% to 13%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Medway residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.6% to 5.0% in the decade to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (82%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 70% in 2001. The percentage of Medway residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23% to 13%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Medway decreased by 2.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Medway, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Medway

The number of people in Medway from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from about 1,700 in 2001 to about 6,700 in 2011. This represents a change from 0.7% to 2.5% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 0.7% to 1.5%) and the average across England (from 2.4% to 3.6%).

The number of people in Medway from the White ethnic groups remained close to 240,000 between the last two censuses (from 95% to 90% of the population). The number of residents from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 8,400 to about 14,000 (from 3.4% to 5.2%).

Just under 5,200 people (1.1%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from about 2,700 in 2001 (2.0%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups in Medway increased by 1.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Medway by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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